Looking for comapnies with long hoods

But, but, but you get to drive a HOOOOOOOOOOOD!

 

I never did understand that way of thinking. I’d rather drive an old freightliner century and get 70cpm than a new hood truck for .43

 

The driver with the low paying is paying off their hood truck real quick.

 

Lancaster County Man and Long-Distance Trucking Company Sentenced for Violations of Clean Air Act

 

yikes

 

If you have the engine power to go with it, I’d say it’s the best truck I’ve driven , long nose with 18speed.

 

I'll add my .02 $ that no one asked for.

I too have driven just about everyone make except Western Star (the real ones, not the fake Freightshaker ones). The Mack Pinnacle was an old-school daycab that I drove working local for a roofing supplier, so that one really doesn't count.

I got my start in a Peterbilt hood, 379 13-speed to be exact (standard hood, that is), with the (if i remember right) 60" sleeper.No extra bells or whistles (i.e. no integrated fridge, TV, bunk heater or APU), but I made it work. Spent a short time driving both that old Mack and an International Prostar daycab 10-speed, then eventually found my way back into another 379, then into a 389, then a 579, then a 387 (and I found out real fast why they call that thing a "football helmet" at my first job), then a Volvo 670 10-speed, then a Volvo 670 12-speed I-shift. THAT thing was nice. I also slip-seated into a few 386s before being handed the keys to a 10-speed T800 daycab. Eventually, I made my way into a 10-speed Freightliner Cascadia daycab (wouldn't be the last time), then back into a Volvo 670, then a newer 760 (both of which were loaded with fridges, APUs, bunk heaters and luxury mattresses). Went from that to driving both another Cascadia 10-speed daycab and an International Prostar auto-shift daycab...and someone else's Freightliner Columbia 10-speed sleeper. Now I'm in a Kenworth T680 13-speed daycab.

I say all that to say all this:

As for on-road ride and comfort, nothing beats the Volvo (which also had by far the best visibility due to the huge mirrors, windows, and windshield). I found the Freighliner cabs to be the most comfortable and ergonomics. Never cared for the Internationals (and still don't)...especially that first one, where it felt like I was about to fall over the dash (it was a stubnose, so that's probably why). Older KWs are notorious for their turning radii (or lack thereof), but the T800 I had must have been the exception because that thing turned and cornered better than the Int'ls I drove. That also was my favorite of the lot. The T680 I have now is okay...I still prefer the feel and ergonomics of the Freightliner cabs. All that said...it's something about those Petes that just made me feel like a trucker. Maybe it's more an emotional/ego thing, or maybe it's nostalgia since that's what I started in. But that's my unsolicited contribution to this conversation...

 

The only trucks I hate are Internationals. Every time I get on one, it breaks down within the week. I swear they are just garbage nowadays, new ones and older ones. Petes are okay, but to be honest, at the end of the day, it's not my truck. I don't care about much; I only care about home, often lately daily, and money and running AC are the only things I care about.

A job to me is a job, they don't care about you, why should they so you look after yourself first, quality of life is more important in my opinion. I have known a few people who get one injury and are out work for a few months after working 40 years, try firing him as if no big deal, that's exactly what loyalty gets you nowadays. Once his recovery was done, he went to work elsewhere and started all over from the bottom, essentially.

 

Payroll long hood in NC and SC are all step deck and flat bed. I have about six w2 long nose within a fifteen mile radius of my house in NC and they are all hiring.. They are ~25 truck carriers and mostly construction and steel contracts..

Hopper and pump are all nepo unless you go out of SE where pump megas are and the pay is around 80k a year.. They are usually a Mac Pinnacle..

Same with w2 HD wrecker, but arguing with truck stop ego mentality is a proven guessing-contrarian vortex.. I can drive a chromed out KW wrecker right now by the house for $1,500 bring home.. I currently make that dealing with -zero- BS, though..

Also same with all-manual companies.. B.A.H(Concord, NC) is paying less than US Express and you're running the same freight in a ragged 10 speed manual internationl that somehow has 1cm dirt on everything lol

 

Maybe it’s just the luck of the draw, I’m in my third International LT in six years (a pair of 2019s and now a 2025), and my experience has been very good. There was a 3 month gap between the first two when I switched to local driving and was moved to a 2019 KW T680, and I didn’t like it as much. I’ve also spent a week or so driving a late model Cascadia and it was pretty good.

My new (in December) 2025 LT has an automatic transmission, which I didn’t want at first but quickly grew to like quite a bit, particularly in any kind of a traffic jam. Easier is better, every day of the week.